1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in a device for locking a detachable roof when the roof located upwardly of a driver's seat and a passenger's seat in a motor vehicle is made detachable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, there has been commercialized a motor vehicle having a so-called T-bar roof.
A detachable roof in the motor vehicle of the type described is constructed such that, in the detached state of the detachable roofs, openings contiguous to door openings of side doors positioned outside the driver's seat and the passenger's seat are formed to accommodate the roofs.
Furthermore, in a state where the detachable roof is mounted to a motor vehicle body, the vehicle body is formed with a roof surface flush with a roof body.
In the state where the detachable roof is mounted to the motor vehicle body, a locked state should be reliably maintained so that the detachable roof does not generate vibrations during running of the motor vehicle.
Examples of devices for locking a detachable roof in a motor vehicles for the above-described purpose are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,618, and Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 68,157/1985.
Each of the lock devices disclosed in these examples include:
first and second levers rotatably mounted to the detachable roof and being in mesh with each other in a manner to be rotatable in synchronism with each other in directions opposite to each other;
first and second lock pins axially, linearly, movably supported on the detachable roof by means of guides at positions opposite to each other with the first and the second levers interposed therebetween, connected to the first and the second levers, respectively, through connecting mechanisms, and insertable at the forward ends thereof into lock holes formed in a motor vehicle body and opposed to the lock pins; and
a control lever connected to one of the first and the second levers to rotate the same.
In order to reliably maintain the locked state of the detachable roof, it is necessary to provide sufficient lengths of the lock pins inserted into the lock holes.
As a consequence, such problems are presented that, to extend the strokes of the lock pins, radii of rotations of the first and the second levers, which include gears, are increased, so that the device as a whole becomes large-sized, thus resulting in increased weight of the detachable roof and increased manufacturing cost. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been developed to obviate the above-described disadvantages of the prior art and has as its object the provision of a device for locking a detachable roof in a motor vehicle, wherein sufficient strokes of the lock pins can be provided without increasing the radii of rotation of a pair of levers, i.e., without enlarging the pair of levers and not increasing the weight of the device.
To achieve the above-described object, the present invention contemplates a device for locking a detachable roof in a motor vehicle, including:
first and second levers rotatably mounted to the detachable roof and being in contact with each other in a manner to be rotatable in synchronism with each other in directions opposite to each other;
first and a second lock pins axially, linearly, movably supported on the detachable roof by means of guides at positions opposite to each other with the first and the second levers interposed therebetween, connected to the first and the second levers, respectively, through connecting mechanisms, and insertable at the forward ends thereof into lock holes formed in a motor vehicle body and opposed to the lock pins; and
a control lever connected to one of the first and the second levers to rotate the same;
wherein the first and the second levers are arranged such that the turning paths of connecting portions of the connecting mechanisms are spaced from each other in directions of the rotary axes of the levers.
Further, to achieve the above-described object, the present invention contemplates that, in a state where the first and the second lock pins are drawn out of the lock holes, the first and the second levers are arranged in a manner to be at least partially overlapped with each other in the directions of the rotary axes of the levers.
Still further, to achieve the above-described object, the present invention contemplates that the first and the second levers are supported on a base plate substantially perpendicular to the rotary axes thereof such that one of the levers is located on the front surface of the base plate and the other is located on the rear surface thereof.
Still further, to achieve the above-described object, the present invention contemplates that the first and the second levers have contact planes at positions close to the respective rotary axes, wherein one of the levers is provided at the same position as the contact plane in an axial direction of the rotary axis thereof and the other is shifted in position from the contact plane.
Yet further, to achieve the above-described object, the present invention contemplates that the connecting mechanisms include first and second links for converting rotary motion of the first and the second levers into reciprocatory motion and transmitting the same to the first and second lock pins, each of the first and second links being pin-connected at one end thereof to the proximal end of the associated lock pin and at the other end thereof to the lever opposed thereto.
According to the present invention, the first and the second levers for driving the pair of lock pins are shifted in position from each other in the directions of the rotary axes thereof, and, during unlocking, i.e., when the lock pins are drawn out of the lock holes, both levers do not interfere with each other. As a result, a maximum stroke of substantially twice the length of the lever can be given to the lock pin, respectively.
As a consequence, sufficient strokes of the lock pins can be obtained without increasing the levers in size to increase the radii of rotation of the levers.